


επτά θανάσιμες αμαρτίες

by doublejfics



Category: SB19 (Band)
Genre: Assault, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Explicit Sexual Content, Forcefeeding, GUYS THIS IS VERY R-RATED, Graphic depictions of violence - Freeform, M/M, MINORS DO NOT FUCKING INTERACT PLEASE, Sexual Themes, Sexual Torture, Skirts on Non-Con, Torture, but it's not super major, so better safe than sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:14:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26774965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doublejfics/pseuds/doublejfics
Summary: When Justin sells his soul, Josh goes on a mission through hell to get him back.
Relationships: Justin De Dios/Josh Cullen Santos
Comments: 1
Kudos: 36





	1. A Deal's a Deal

**Author's Note:**

> Firstly, Happy Anniversary, JnJ! Mga Dimunyu kayo, we went there talaga.
> 
> Anyways, here's the lapag of the FICS peeps. Please do heed the warnings above, I beg of you.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> \- MOBAS

There was a small hiss as Josh struck a match, lighting the final candle in the circle. The soft glowing flames illuminated the dark room.

“This better fuckin’ work,” he muttered under his breath as he finished painting the pentagram on the floor. The stench of the pig’s blood that he used was starting to stink up the room, but Josh swallowed the bile that threatened to rise up in his throat.

He couldn’t stop. Not now.

As he sat back, he took a moment to admire the structure of the symbols on the floor. He went to great lengths to ensure that every symbol was drawn exactly as required. He couldn’t afford a slip up. He couldn’t afford to make a mistake.

With a shaking hand, he reached into his pocket, taking out the crumpled letter that drove him to this point.

_ Dear Josh, _

_ If you’re reading this, then I’m probably long gone by now.  _

_ I’m really sorry I couldn’t say goodbye, but I couldn’t tell you. I knew you’d try to find a way to circumvent my situation. There’d be no use. You couldn’t stop me either, and I wouldn’t let you. _

_ Which is why I’m writing this before my time’s up. You’ll receive this after my death.  _

_ Do not, and I repeat DO NOT show this to Sejun, Stell, or Ken. You’re the only one I trust with this information, my love. Don’t betray me.  _

_ Before anything else, please know that I had reached a point of desperation. We were going nowhere, and we were rapidly losing our drive to keep going. That wasn’t going to happen on my watch - not when I could do something about it. _

_ I’ll admit, it wasn’t the smartest of my ideas, but I wanted this for us. I needed us to rise to the top. I wasn’t going to let us just fade away into the background and be nobodies again. I had to do something. _

_ So, I did what I thought I could do: trade my soul in exchange for our success as a group.  _

_ My deal bought us ten years in the spotlight. These are years that I will forever cherish, no matter how short they might be. Even when I’m gone, you will all still find your own way to success. I made sure that you’ll all still be taken care of. _

_ My time is almost up, Josh. In just a few hours, they’ll come for me. _

_ All I ask is that you respect my decision. I’m willing to die now, to lay my life on the line for all of you - my brothers, and you, my love.  _

_ I love you, Josh. I always have, and I always will. _

_ Forever and Always, _

_ Justin _

Justin died almost a year ago. Officially, his death certificate indicated that he had died of a sudden heart attack that snuffed his life in his sleep, but now, Josh knew better. 

Justin didn’t die. 

Justin was taken away from them.

He was taken away from Josh.

And Josh wasn’t going to let this pass.

The past year was spent learning all he could about what Justin had done. Josh found himself knee deep in lore that he would have dismissed before without a second glance. He pored over texts, talked to various mediums, and did all he could to get his hands on any information that would help him with his, albeit, crazy-as-shit project.

“I will get you back, Justin,” he murmured, pressing his lips against the letter before putting it back into his pocket. 

Josh then turned his attention to the pentagram. The candles were lit and in position. The circle was complete, and the symbols were as close to perfect as he possibly could get them. 

Without a second thought, he sat crossed legged in front of the pentagram, and began reciting the chant beneath his breath.

It all happened instantaneously. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees, and Josh could feel the biting chill pierce through his clothing. Still, he kept his focus, not allowing himself to get distracted. 

As he repeated the chant over and over again, the flames on the candles were slowly snuffed out one by one. The pentagram started to light up, and Josh only intensified his voice as he repeated the chants.

Then, as suddenly as it came, the candles were lit once again, the pentagram had gone back to normal, but Josh knew, without a shadow of doubt, that he wasn’t alone.

“Well,” came a silky voice from the shadows. “This is unexpected.”

“Show yourself,” Josh barked, not moving from his spot. This was an otherworldly entity that could very well kill him with a look if he wanted. He needed to play with his cards close to his chest.

There was a figure in front of him in seconds, and Josh looked up to see a man standing in front of him. At first glance, he looked like any other person you’d encounter, but there was a very dark aura that surrounded him. 

Coupled with the flash of completely black eyes, Josh knew, without a shadow of doubt, that he had successfully managed to summon a demon.

“You are...Asmodeus, correct?” Josh asked, causing the demon to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

“I am indeed. I’m flattered that you know me,” came the response. “So tell me, Josh Cullen... _ Santos… _ to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You have something of mine,” Josh replied without hesitation. “And I’d like him back.”

“Him?” Asmodeus replied with a taunting tone. “Not a lot of people come to us wanting specific individuals back. But, I’ll bite. Who is this  _ him  _ that you’re referring to?”

“His name is Justin de Dios,” Josh said, trying his best to keep calm. “You took his life...his soul...I want him back. I want to trade in my soul for his.”

At that, Asmodeus’s expression changed. Josh nearly took a step back with how dark his face had become. The candlelight flickered menacingly in the room.

“Silly boy,” the demon growled, voice low and threatening. “Yes, I know who Justin de Dios is. The young man came to me more than a decade ago,  _ begging  _ to trade his soul for the success of his group. I’m guessing you’re one of them?”

At Josh’s nod, he continued. “We struck a deal. I’d give him ten years. He accepted.”

“And now, I want him back,” Josh hissed. “Give him back to the land of the living, and take me instead.”

Asmodeus shook his head. “I’m sorry,  _ that  _ I cannot do.”

_ That  _ caused Josh to stop short. 

“I-I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“You can’t trade your soul for someone who has willingly sold theirs,” Asmodeus said with a manic grin. “That’s not how it works.”

And all of a sudden, Josh’s world stopped. Had he really spent the last year doing all that research...for nothing?

“Look,” Josh began, causing Asmodeus to turn his attention to him. “I’m willing to do anything, please.”

Asmodeus then looked at him, and Josh resisted the shudder that threatened to run down his spine at the sight of the black eyes staring right into him. 

“Anything, you say?”

“Anything,” Josh repeated, his voice choking up. “Anything to have him back.” 

“Well, there is one way,” Asmodeus hummed, and just as Josh was about to speak, the demon snapped his fingers.

Josh was expecting to feel his soul being forcibly removed from his body, but when he opened his eyes, light flooded in. If he didn’t know any better, it looked like he had gone up instead of going down.

He gently blinked his eyes open once more, and was met with a very white and very bland room.

“Where the fuck am I?” He asked, and Asmodeus appeared beside him.

“Josh, welcome to a lovely place we’d like to call  _ Purgatory,”  _ Asmodeus responded with a grin. “Hell’s waiting room, if you will.”

“What am I doing here?”

The demon hummed. “Well, you see, I’m giving you a choice here. Justin is in the deepest pits of hell, a place where all those desperate enough to sell their soul end up. You can either go through all these levels to find him…”

He trailed off, causing Josh to bare his teeth in irritation.

“Or…?”

“Or you can go back to the land of the living, and we’ll forget this ever happened,” came the response. “But, there is a catch.”

“Of course there is,” Josh muttered, rolling his eyes. 

“Testy, are we?” Asmodeus drawled, and Josh shrugged. “Well, in any case, if you do decide to go through with your pursuit of going after Justin...just know that it’s a one way trip.”

Josh paused. “You mean...I’m never coming back?”

“You won’t be able to.”

Asmodeus’s words echoed around his mind, but Josh was nothing if not determined.

“I’m going,” He announced with finality. “I’m going to look for Justin, no matter what.”

“Well then,” the demon drawled. “Josh Cullen Santos...welcome to hell.”

And he snapped his fingers, and Josh was overwhelmed with the most intense pain he’s ever experienced in his life.

  
  



	2. Pride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sin of Pride

_ "Hey Josh wake up! Josh! Wake up!" _

" _ H-huh?" _

Josh slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. 

'Was it a dream?' he thought. He looked to his left and saw Stell staring at him intently. 

" _ Good you're awake. You can't be late you know? It's just your 1st week plus we have a meeting with the bosses at 10am. Breakfast is on the table, I'll just get ready alright? Go eat." _

'So it was a dream…' Josh thought as he got up and started getting ready for work. 

\-----------

_ "Let's cut to the chase here. The company lost a lot of money, and is currently losing more!"  _ Paulo Nase, the company CFO spoke with great dismay. 

_ "So what do you want me to do Mr. Nase?"  _ Justin De Dios spoke back, annoyed. He was pointing out the obvious and Justin was having none of it.

_ "Well I propose we---"  _

_ "We? What makes you think you're going to do anything huh? I'm the CEO. I'm the one who needs to do something about this and I can do it by myself---" _

_ "Oh really? If you could do this all by yourself then we wouldn't be losing money right now!"  _ Nase's voice echoed throughout the conference room. Stell tried to discretely hold his hand to calm him down whilst Josh watched the whole exchange. 

_ "Well maybe if you kept your mouth shut I would think of something to save MY company! I don't fucking need you or anyone else in this room!"  _ De Dios spat back, glancing at Josh before storming out. 

_ "W-well I guess that means the meeting is adjourned?"  _ Stell spoke after a few minutes of dead air. 

Josh shook his head and went out of the room to get something to drink. His head was hurting and something about Justin De Dios wasn't right. He just couldn't pinpoint what. 

\---------

_ "So, how is it being the assistant of the devil incarnate?" And we haven't even reached half of it!"  _ Ken exclaimed during lunch. 

_ "Huh? Who?"  _ Josh replied curiously. 

_ "I'm talking about Mr. de Dios silly! I swear that guy has such an angelic surname but is the demon himself!"  _ Ken then continued ranting about their boss but Josh couldn't hear it anymore. His head started to hurt again and Ken's past words kept ringing in it. 

_ 'Demon himself…' _

_ 'De Dios…' _

_ ' _ _ Go through all these levels…' _

_ 'Find him…' _

'Shit! So it wasn't a fucking dream after all' Josh thought. That was why Justin was so… different. He wasn't the real Justin! Ken's probably right. That Justin De Dios was the devil himself. 

_ "Hey Josh are you done eating? We need to head back. De Dios will have your head if you come back even a minute late."  _

_ "Y-yeah yeah I'm done." _

_ \-------- _

_ "Sir, you were looking for me?"  _ Josh quietly entered Justin's office. 

_ "Josh! You're here. Come. And I told you to stop calling me sir when it's just us right?"  _ Justin beckoned. 

Josh was beyond confused. What exactly was his relation to this Justin? All he knew was that he was supposed to be his assistant. With a weary mind, he slowly approached him. 

_ "My head hurts baby, can you massage it? Paulo gave me quite the headache earlier."  _ Justin guided Josh's hands to his temple. 

_ "He was only trying to help you though…"  _

_ "Well I don't need it. This is my company. I don't need any help from anyone!" _

It was now clear to Josh what he had to do. He had to convince Justin to get help from others. And he had to do it fast so he could move on. 

_ "But baby…"  _ Josh started, testing the waters. 

_ "No Josh. I won't accept any help. Even from you. I can handle this myself." _

\-------

Days passed and various methods were used but Josh still couldn't figure out how to get this Justin to accept their help. He was beginning to lose hope that he would ever get out of this but everytime he closes his eyes, he sees Justin.  _ His Justin.  _ And he wanted to get him back. 

*knock* *knock*

_ "Come in."  _ Josh slowly went inside the CEO's office and was faced with a pale looking Justin buried in piles of paperwork. 

_ "Hey, are you okay?"  _ Josh asked, concerned. 

_ "I'm fine."  _ Justin answered weakly. 

_ "No you're not! You're too pale for your own fucking good. You're sick aren't you? Let me get you some medicine---" _

_ "I said I'm fine! I just need to finish a lot of work. Stop making a fuss about it." _

Josh sighed, walked towards Justin, pushed his chair back and sat on his lap before he could even say anything. He wiped the sweat on his forehead and stared at his face. He had to admit, this Justin was making him miss his ever so understanding baby Jah. 

_ "You're not fine. Don't lie to me, Justin. I'm your assistant and it's my job to help you whether you like it or not. And the way I see it, you need all the help you can get." _

_ "No, I don't."  _ Justin said dismissively, looking away. 

_ "Yes you do. Keep this up and you'll end up in a hospital. Then you wouldn't be able to do any work at all."  _ Josh caressed his cheek, forcing him to look at him. 

_ "I don't need any of your help Josh. I've done this by myself once, I can do it again!"  _

_ "Please? Just let us help you. Even if it's just a little amount of help. I don't want to lose you… not again"  _ Josh whispered the last part. He stared at this Justin, remembering the memories he had with the real one. The things they did together. The real Justin never hesitated to ask for help when he needed it. And the members were always there to help him. He didn't even notice that he was crying if the CEO didn't wipe his tears. 

_ "Don't cry baby. Fine, I'll let you all help okay? But only because I've been noticing all the things you've been doing this past week. Did you think I wouldn't notice that my work hasn't really been doubled? You just photocopied it and made it look like I had a lot to do you sly asshole." Justin chuckled.  _

_ "I didn't think you'd notice that! I guess I shouldn't be taking advice from Ken now huh? But since you agreed, let me call Mr. Nase and the others and let's talk about what to do in a meeting." _ Josh excitedly stood up and proceeded to walk out. 

Once out of the CEO'S office, his head started spinning again and everything went black. 


	3. Envy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sin of Envy

ENVY

Josh was woken up by the buzzing noises of the crowd around him. He immediately stood up and gave a confusing look to the girl standing beside him. The girl looked concerned and asked Josh if he was okay. “ _ Sir? Are you okay? We’re going to start filming again.”  _ It was evident on Josh’s face that he had no clue what’s going on. 

“ _ Um, what?”  _ Josh asked. 

_ “The shoot for your new movie sir. Here’s the script”  _

Josh skimmed the script, he didn’t know what was going on and he sure didn’t know what to do. He told the girl that he was feeling out of his elements and asked if he could just rest for the day. After talking to the director, the girl came back to say that he can now go.  _ “The Director said that you should rest well any more delays and we might not make it to the release date”.  _ As Josh was walking towards the exit he was greeted by a warm hug and a concerned look from his  _ lover.  _

“ _ I was called by Phoebe. She said you were feeling unwell so I’m here to pick you up. Are you okay? Need something to eat?”  _ Justin asked.

“ _ I’m okay just feeling unwell” Josh said as he faintly smiled at the younger boy. _

Justin nodded and intertwined their hands as they exited the set. Justin was observant of Josh’s action seeing if he needs help. Josh looked behind from the front passenger seat to see if anything looked suspicious. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, he looked at the road in front of him, his train of thoughts was suddenly interrupted when Justin spoke up. Justin asked Josh how his day went, how was the movie, and other mundane questions. They arrived home at around six in the evening. Justin told Josh to go upstairs and change as he prepares their meal. 

They had a normal dinner. As they ate Josh asked Justin how he went so he can have a grasp of the  _ reality _ he was currently in. It turns out that Justin was also an artist just like him, he spent his day going to additions hoping to get a new project soon. After eating they washed the dishes and decided to go to bed early. 

As they were laying down together, Justin cuddled Josh and caressed his hair. “ _ If only they chose me we can be together at work too”  _ Justin whispered as he kissed Josh’s hair. Josh was comfortable in Justin’s arm, he felt safe and warm, after a while he too was fast asleep. 

\----------

Morning came, it was time for Josh to go back to work. Justin offered to drive them there and he accepted the offer. Josh entered the set, as he approached the make-up station he saw that people were flocking over someone. He approached a staff that was nearby and asked what was going on. The staff said that Jonathan, his co-star, suddenly collapsed. After a while, the paramedics arrived to see what was going on. They said that it was food poisoning, though it was not fatal he needed to be confined so that they could inspect him further. The production team had a meeting later that day, they decided to change Josh’s co-star, they cannot delay the movie any further. Luckily, Jonathan’s role was only vaguely seen on the accumulated shots, they can easily shoot those again.

Josh was informed that his new co-star will be Justin. Justin immediately arrived on set as if he was only a few blocks away, but to the producer's dismay Justin doesn't seem to fit the role. After filming for the whole day they decided to once again have a meeting. They later told Justin that he wasn't fit for the role, they offered him another role but he declined and angrily walked away. 

As they were packing up the equipment, the smoke alarm suddenly went off. The fire quickly spread throughout the whole studio. Some people were trapped inside but most of them got out with only a few to none injuries.

When Josh got out of the studio he could see Justin standing outside, the fire was reflected on his eyes as he was intently looking at the burning studio. Without looking away Justin suddenly spoke " _ You know I grew to hate you as time goes by. You had everything I ever wanted. People always compare us with one another. I was in your shadow"  _ Justin said as he smirked. Josh suddenly received a call from an unknown caller, he answered it and it was from his neighbour, he was informed that his house was also on fire. 

“ _ I...began to hate you. I wanted what you have and it’s unfair that no matter how hard I try I’ll always be in your shadow”  _ Justin continued. “ _ I’ll take everything away from you...I’ll even take myself from you”  _ Justin said as he wickedly smiles, he took a gun from his coat and put it beside his head. Josh’s ears suddenly buzzed, he tried to stop Justin but it as too late. As Justin pulled the trigger he said something but Josh didn’t seem to hear what it was.

Once again, Josh was enveloped in darkness.

  
  



	4. Gluttony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sin of Gluttony

Josh lifted his head up, looking around. It was dark and quiet. He could hear his own heartbeat echo loudly in his chest, and he tensed, wondering where he ended up now. 

It took him a few good seconds to realize he couldn’t move his head sideways. It took him a few seconds after that to realize he was also tied down, iron clamps around his wrists and ankles, strapping him tightly against the chair. He also felt a chain around his waist, securing him.

“Well, well, well,” a sultry voice echoed from behind him. “You’re here now. I’ve been...expecting you.”

In an instant, several bowls and dishes appeared on the long, wooden table in front of him. Each dish was filled to the brim with dripping gold. Josh took a deep breath, and suddenly wished he hadn’t. 

The smell was  _ intoxicating,  _ to say the least. Pangs of hunger suddenly gnawed in his belly, a roaring sensation that he so desperately wanted to alleviate. 

Josh found himself struggling to break free, but there was no use. He was trapped.

“Aww, is my little pet hungry?” The voice cooed again, and Josh felt rather than saw the presence beside him. A hand slowly made its way up his neck, slender fingers curling through his hair before gripping and forcing him to look up.

Josh’s eyes widened at the sight. Justin was standing there, a very serene smile on his face. 

“J-Justin?” He choked out. “Wh-what are…”

Justin shushed him with a kiss, causing Josh to whimper. Justin devoured his lips with a fervor, tongue licking into his mouth, mapping every single crevice he could reach. 

When Justin pulled away, Josh could hardly think.

“You taste  _ divine,  _ pet,” Justin cooed at him, the same serene smile on his face. “Are you hungry? I know what you just need.”

Then, Justin produced a spoon out of nowhere. It gleamed in the dim lighting, gold and silver molded together into a rather gorgeous piece of silverware that Josh could never imagine having in his life. 

Justin then reached towards the table and pulled the first bowl in front of them.

“This, my love, is  _ ambrosia, _ ” Justin murmured softly in Josh’s ear. “A delicacy among gods, and...a curse for those...not quite fortunate to be in such an elevated position.”

Justin then spooned the gold liquid onto the spoon, allowing some to drip before bringing it to Josh’s lips. “Eat, love...this is good for you.”

Despite the gnawing hunger deep in the pits of his stomach, Josh kept his mouth closed. The serene smile on Justin’s face disappeared, only to be replaced by a thunderous expression.

“You won’t eat what I prepared for you?” He asked, hissing. “Open your mouth.”

Josh pursed his lips, keeping his mouth shut, but Justin was stronger. 

“Well, you leave me no choice…” Justin whispered, forcing the spoon past Josh’s lips, causing him to gag.

The sweet-smelling ambrosia tasted bitter and scalding on Josh’s tongue. It filled his mouth with a pain that he’s never experienced before. Justin was then massaging his neck like a dog, forcing the syrupy liquid down his throat.

But somehow, his stomach hungered for more. He simultaneously wanted to throw up and keep eating at the same time.

“There,” Justin said, the smile back on his face. “Didn’t that taste good? It’ll only get better from here.”

And Josh couldn’t scream as Justin shoved spoonful after spoonful of the liquid in his mouth. It was the most disgusting thing Josh had ever tasted, but his hunger was never sated. He found himself opening his mouth every time as Justin forced the ambrosia into his system, and with each spoonful, Justin’s smile grew wider. 

“What do you say, pet? Do you want more?”

When Josh didn’t reply, Justin pulled at his hair again, forcing him to look up. “When I ask a question,” he said menacingly. “I want a response.”

Fighting against the sharp pain in his mouth, Josh struggled to utter a reply. “You- you’re nothing. You can’t force me...never…”

“Hmm, I beg to differ,” Justin responded, shoving another spoonful of ambrosia into Josh’s mouth.

This time, Josh spat it out.

He watched as the golden liquid flew from his lips, landing on the table with a loud  _ splat.  _

Justin’s grip on his hair tightened, and he cried out when the being forced him to look back up. There was a thunderous expression on Justin’s face, dark and foreboding.

“Let me go,” He growled at Justin. “Don’t you fucking dare…”

Justin tutted. “It seems you haven’t learned your lesson, have you?”

Almost instantaneously, Josh could no longer see as a blind fold was tied tightly around his eyes. Another hand curled around his chin, forcing his mouth open.

“You will eat all that was prepared for you,” Justin said sweetly, but there was a warning tone in his voice. He shoved another spoonful into Josh’s mouth, forcing the liquid down his throat. 

Josh’s mind raced. He was trapped here, and there seemed to be no way out.

But he couldn’t give up. Not now.

“STOP!” He finally yelled at the top of his lungs. “I will never!”

“You’re being very naughty, my pet,” Justin growled at him. “I don’t like it when you’re naughty.” 

He fed another large spoonful into Josh’s mouth and tried forcing it down. Josh gagged, tears springing from the corners of his eyes as Justin massaged the liquid down his throat. He then retched, trying to vomit. 

At that, Justin wrenched his mouth open. “You would dare waste that?! After all I’ve done for you? You ungrateful little shit!”

With great difficulty, Josh managed to break his chin free from his hold. “I said, let me go!”

“Nobody leaves me! You will eat what I prepared, and you will  _ love it. _ ” Justin screamed at him. “Do you understand that?”

And Josh - hungry and shaking, with his mouth feeling like it was on fire - turned his head ever so slightly towards Justin and said with a hiss:  _ “Fuck you.”  _

There was a sound of metal that rang in his ears, and before Josh could even react, he felt the dagger being buried into his chest.

He gasped, blood quickly spilling from his mouth, the rich smell of iron mixing with the sickly sweet scent of the ambrosia.

“You forced my hand,” Justin replied, voice now soft yet unapologetic. “Nobody leaves me.”

With each word, he punctuated it with a twist of the dagger, further into Josh’s chest. The blindfold was removed, and Josh saw that the handle of the spoon had actually been a very small, yet very sharp weapon. 

He looked up with whatever meager strength he had left, “Fuck you...” he gasped out, one last act of defiance.

And with that, he let out his last breath, letting darkness consume him, with the last thing he saw being the serene smile of his torturer. 


	5. Lust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sin of Lust

Silence.

Josh was met with deafening silence.

He was already awake, his mind conscious enough to form thoughts, but all of his senses weren’t working. Or at least, that’s what it felt like. He couldn’t see, feel, or hear anything. Not even darkness. He doesn’t know what was happening to him, maybe his soul was disintegrating, or something, he wasn’t so sure.

His mind drifts back to the previous  _ scenes _ he had went through. He had been through two, and in the middle of the whole fiasco, Josh began to put pieces together. He was (a) being put through different tests and trials in order to get to Justin, and (b) each “scenario” he had gone through all had recurring themes, something akin to sins, or something.

Then, it clicks. He remembers researching about the  _ seven deadly sins _ a few months after Justin’s untimely death in the mortal world. He remembers each sin had a corresponding punishment in hell, and that whatever sin was most prevalent in your life will eventually bite you back after death.

Josh that he must have gone through three of them. He theorizes in his head, the first one, being  _ pride _ , with the company, then, the film shooting, probably  _ envy, _ at the most recent one, the scene he had just gone through, was probably  _ gluttony. _

So, if his theory was correct, he had four sins left. He doesn’t know which one will come next, but he tries to prepare himself mentally. Now that he was somewhat aware of what was happening, he can go through these…  _ tests _ , for lack of a better term, easier.

Or so he thought.

Out of nowhere, his vision begins to pick up his surroundings. The constant  _ nothingness _ was then replaced with a small beam of light from afar. He squints, trying to adjust to the sudden change, when he begins to assimilate his situation.

First, he realized that the light was not coming from afar, but from  _ above. _ A small lightbulb emits a faint light, casting shadows all over the room. Second, Josh found himself lying down in a soft mattress, eyes meeting the ceiling, where the light was coming from. And lastly, he realized that his wrists were bound on the bed frame with a tight rope keeping him immobilized. 

He glanced around, looking at his surroundings. The room was fairly empty, with nothing but the light and the bed filling the entire place. He was in the middle of the room, right in front of a door. He doesn’t know what lies behind it, but something in his gut tells him that it’s better not to know.

A few minutes in, Josh starts to pull at his restraints, trying to see if the rope would loosen or break, but no matter how hard he pulled his hands apart, the rope didn’t even seem to budge. He focused all of his strength on pulling the rope apart from the bed frame, but to no avail. It was like Josh had no power at all. He huffed, trying again, but still, nothing happened.

He was beginning to sweat, panic arising in his chest as his mind began running, trying to think of what to do. His legs weren’t bound to the bed, so he had the access to move them freely, but it wasn’t much of a help to his situation. He thrashed and pulled against the rope, using his feet for leverage, but nothing seemed to work. He was  _ stuck. _

Out of nowhere, Josh stops his movements. His whole body tensed, and the hairs in his arm started to stand. The temperature in the room seemed to drop, but the door remained closed, and there were no windows that could be the source of the sudden breeze passing through him.

He bit his lip, his heart racing as he looked around, hands beginning to shake. Something seemed off, and Josh’s fight or flight response was tingling. He had to leave and he had to leave  _ now. _ He pulled against the rope again, trying to tear it in two, but of course, he was unsuccessful.

“So, you're finally awake.” A menacing voice echoes around the room, and Josh whips his head to the side, seeing a figure in the shadows, staring at him.

The voice, it sounded familiar. It didn’t take him long to figure out that it was Justin, as the figure walked into the light, showing his face. 

Josh looks him up and down. He had a suspicion that all the other Justins he had previously encountered were not the real one. He knew that  _ his  _ Justin, the one in the real world, would never put him in the situations that he had gone through, at least before he died. There was something  _ different _ about this Justin, though. He wasn’t only different from the real Justin, but the other ones he had met, too. This one was much more intimidating, sporting a sinister look. 

It scared the shit out of Josh.

“Had a good sleep?” the boy’s tone was mocking, like he was taunting Josh. 

The older boy didn't answer, afraid that his words may have a negative effect on the whole “test.” He remained unmoving, keeping eye contact with the Justin in front of him.

“I can hear the cogs turning in your head, baby.” Justin mumbles, moving around the bed. 

“Take these off.” Josh grits, pulling at the ropes again. 

“Where’s the fun in that?” Justin chuckles lowly, voice reverberating around the room. 

Josh was getting even more anxious. He doesn’t know what this Justin has in store for him, but he was almost a hundred percent sure that it wouldn’t be good. 

The boy crept in closer, sitting on the bed beside Josh’s legs. He placed a hand on his thigh, making Josh clench his jaw. His hands curled into fists in his binds, whole body jolting as he tensed.

“I know you’re worried, you don’t have to be.” Justin pouted, then, he glances up to meet Josh’s eye. “I’ll be gentle.”

Justin snaps his fingers, and in a blink of an eye, Josh was pushed against the mattress, his back flush against the sheets. Justin proceeds to straddle Josh’s thighs.

“Jah what are--” Josh tries to complain, panic rising in his chest.

“Shh,” Justin shushes him by placing a finger on his lips. “It’s okay.”

Josh shakes his head fervently, thrashing in his bounds. “No, d-don’t, Justin stop--”

“You’re sooooo noisy.” Justin rolls his eyes, snapping his fingers again.

Josh doesn’t know what happened, he doesn’t even know what Justin did, but for some reason, he felt drowsy, eyes clouding over. He lies lifeless on the bed, with Justin still straddling him. He was saying something, but Josh couldn’t hear anything. He tried to respond, but his voice got stuck in his throat. He felt immobilized, like he had absolutely no energy inside him, like his soul got sucked out of himself.

Justin was smirking now, hand on his throat, squeezing just enough to keep him grounded. Josh grumbled, something akin to a growl leaving his lips. Justin’s other hand began roaming his chest, cold fingers trailing against his skin. Josh whimpered, eyebrows furrowing as he tried his best to push Justin away, but his body remained motionless.

Then, as Justin released the grip on his throat, Josh began to feel  _ something. _ With his fingers trembling, Josh takes a large whiff of Justin’s scent, his mind immediately clouding, toes curling as he began to lose control.

“That’s it, baby.” Justin mumbled. “Let go.”

“H-hn, J-Jah,” Josh managed to croak. “N-Nuh, n-no--”

“Ah, ah.” Justin tutted, “You take what I give you.”

Josh doesn’t even understand what exactly Justin was giving him, but it felt so  _ good _ . Justin wasn’t even touching him. The boy was merely hovering over him, but Josh felt as if he was being touched everywhere. His mouth was wide open, gasps and whimpers leaving his lips as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

Josh was feeling  _ nothing _ and  _ everything _ all at the same time. His thighs were quaking, pleasure spreading all over him. It felt  _ so good _ , he couldn’t even begin to describe it. His eyes were shut tight, his whole body trembling at this point.

Josh could feel himself slipping, his self-control slipping away from his fingertips. All he wanted to do was give in, let Justin take whatever the hell he wanted from him,  _ fuck _ , he didn’t even know what to do. But a sudden touch on his hip returned him to reality. He doesn’t know what Justin was doing to him, but he needed to stop.

Josh forced his eyes open, seeing Justin licking his lips looking Josh up and down like a prey. 

“J-Jah,” He mutters, “S-Stop.”

Justin laughs, “You think you can control me, hm?”

Josh sobs, back arching as the pleasure began to intensify. It renders him speechless, head thrown back. “J-Jah, p-please.” 

It takes him a couple of seconds to calm himself, the pleasure becoming too much now. But once he got his bearings back, he starts to pull on his binds again, pulling, pulling, and  _ pulling  _ until the rope finally comes off.

With his hands free, Josh pulls Justin off of him, quickly sitting up and off the bed, running to the door, prying it open and running out. Before he could go far though, Josh was met with a large, dark pit in front of him, stumbling and almost falling into it. He grabbed the doorframe, regaining his balance as whatever soul he had left exited his body.

Josh gasped as he heard Justin laugh, turning around to see the boy standing up, shaking his head at the older. “You really think you can run away?”

“I  _ don’t  _ want to do this, Jah.” Josh says.

“But we were having so much fun.” Justin smirks. “You were feeling  _ so good,  _ weren’t you?”

Josh couldn’t respond, maybe because he knew that if he said ‘no,’ Justin would still know the truth.

“This isn’t you, Justin.”

The younger rolls his eyes. “Please, Josh, cut the corny bullshit.”

“ _ My _ Justin would never do this.” Josh huffs.

“Please, that Justin is long dead.” He was getting closer now, Josh tried to move away from him, but was only met with the dark pit looming below him.

“Not to me, he isn’t.” He stares right in his eyes.

“Shame.” Justin huffed, “I was hoping you’d be easy. You tasted good, too.”

It clicked in Josh’s head.

Justin was  _ feeding  _ off of him.

The older shudders, the thought unsettling to him.

“Just come back inside, baby. We can stay like this forever. You wouldn’t even have to worry about anything.” Justin smiled, and it  _ almost _ fooled Josh. The smile looked so much like the real Justin, it muddled Josh’s brain.

But Josh knew better. The Justin standing in front of him was not the real one, not even close. He huffed, trying to think of a plan. There was nowhere to run to, the room had no other windows or doors, and trying to fight off Justin was not even a choice, since the boy seemed to have powers and could render Josh immobile again. So there was absolutely no place left to go.

_ Besides… _

Josh looked back up at Justin, the younger still holding a smile, hand outstretched towards Josh. “Please? Don’t you want to be with me?”

Josh smiled, nodding. “I do.” 

Justin smirked, victory right at his fingertips. What he didn't know, though, was that Josh had another exit.

Josh meets his eye. “But not this way.” 

Before Justin could even do anything, Josh turned around stepping off of the floor of the room, letting himself fall into the pit.

He tenses, eyes shut and fists clenched. He doesn’t know if he did the right thing, but staying with  _ that _ Justin was definitely not the right choice.

So, he lets himself fall.


	6. Wrath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sin of Wrath

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" 

Josh woke up, screaming. He looked around the room he was in, Fuck, he was just pushed off a fucking cliff and now he was inside an office?! He was beginning to catch his breath when Sejun stormed into the room holding a shotgun. 

"You  _ scared _ me byte! I thought something happened to you. Why were you even screaming?!" Sejun exclaimed. 

"U-uhhh… Just a bad dream, Sej. Why are you holding a gun anyways?"

"Oh please! Stop acting like it's your first time seeing me holding a gun. Though I do prefer my trusty AU4, this is the first one I could get. And it's seizemic when we're in here remember?" Sejun then proceeded to rant on about how nervous he was when he heard him scream. 

Josh took this time to look around the room. It was minimalistic, black and blood red filled the walls and floor. There was a small bed and a door on one side of the room, and couches and a tv on the other. 

"---Anyways I hope you're ready for tonight."

"Tonight? What's happening tonight?" Josh asked.

"You know you're getting more forgetful these days. It's Asunción night! You know, that once every 6 months event all mafias HAVE to attend even if we don't want to? Ranks are revealed and I do hope we beat the Darks to rank one tonight." Sejun explained. 

"You should get ready. Your suit is in your closet, already ironed. See you later, byte." And with that, Sejun or seizemic as he said, left Josh's room leaving him wondering what the hell was the situation at hand. 

He slowly walked towards the door near the bed and opened it. Turns out it was a walk-in closet. But clothed weren't the only things in there. It was full of daggers and guns as well and sitting right in the middle was a blood red suit that was probably what Sejun mentioned.

\-------

Asunción night as Sejun explained on the way again, is a party every 6 months for the mafia organizations. It's a gala for all of them to enjoy each other's presence without killing someone. It's also the night where they reveal the top 5 ranks and the Dark as Sejun called them, have been their only competitor for the top 1 spot ever since. 

"Good evening, Pars. Please come in. Your table is on the middle right,1st row of course. Enjoy!" The receptionist guided them as they entered. 

The Pars, as Josh learned is the name of his organization. Pars is Latin for component which is another term for unit. Sejun or Seizemic is his right hand, and Josh, also called Byte, was the leader. 

Upon entering, he could immediately feel people's eyes on him. He could hear their whispers as well but he remained unbothered. Perks of being an idol in real life, huh? 

'They're here!'

'Byte looks so fucking good.'

'Ughh don't get me started on Seizemic'

'Hey Pon looks amazing as well.'

They headed towards their table with much difficulty as at almost every step of the way, someone greets them with an advanced congratulations. They finally settled on their seats when someone says, 

"The Dark is here!"

Josh turned to the entrance to see Justin de Dios in a black velvet suit, walking like he's on a runway. Behind him was Stell, Ken, and a few other people. Sejun stood up and gestured him to do the same as they walked towards the group. 

"Midnight, you certainly look dashing." Sejun complimented Justin? Josh thinks. 

"I could say the same thing about you Seizemic if only I didn't know what you came to us for." Justin rolled his eyes. 

"Haha you caught me. Just wanted to say that Moonlight is looking amazing as always." Sejun then proceeded to wink at a blushing Stell and smirk. 

"Byte, can't say it's a pleasure seeing you. May you please tell your… assistant… to lay off my men?" Justin said, shooting daggers at him. 

"O-of course Ja---midnight. Seizemic, let's head back to our table hmm?" Josh said with much difficulty.

"Ughh fine. The event is about to start anyways. Talk to you later Shadow" 

"Oh and before heading back, you look absolutely great midnight." Josh smiled before pulling a shocked Sejun back to their table. 

"Did I hear that wrong or were you actually complimenting midnight?" Sejun quietly asked. 

"What's so wrong with that?" 

"Dude! Aside from the fact that you've been enemies ever since we started this? What else?" 

"Enemies? Why though?" Josh asked.

"You tell me! Midnight has been mad at you for as long as I can remember. That's why I can't even ask Moonlight out for a date!" Sejun answered, obviously annoyed. 

Josh didn't talk back. Instead, he looked to the table adjacent them, where he saw Justin looking back at him with pure hatred in his eyes. 

\--------

The night went by slowly and now it was time to announce the top ranks. 

"At rank 5, the Kins!" 

"At rank 4, the Jinx!"

"At rank 3, the Combat!"

"The battle for top 1 these past 6 months have been close. Both organizations have exceeded expectations once again, but of course, only one can take rank 1." The emcee started. 

"For rank 2 we have… The Dark! And rank 1 we have the Pars congratulations!" The whole room was filled with applause as the Pars headed up to the stage. Josh let Sejun give their speech as his eyes searched the room for someone. 

Finally, he saw Justin at the far end, glaring at him while playing with a dagger, then heading out. 

\--------

The next morning, a parcel came for the Pars. Inside, was the same dagger Josh saw Justin holding, full of blood, and a note. 

_ 'The Dark challenges the Pars for a duel to prove who is really worthy for rank 1. Whoever manages to capture the other's head will be deemed victorious!' _

  * _J.D.D. ~Midnight~_



Behind the note is an address and time. And Josh just knew, he would have to get violent again. 

\------

"The Dark, with their leader Justin de Dios, also known as Midnight. He has two right hands, Stellvester Ajero a.k.a. Moonlight, and Ken Suson a.k.a. Shadow. The goal is to get Midnight with as little casualties as possible. Avoid killing someone, especially the big three." Sejun explained. 

"How many men do you think would be present, Seizemic?" Mylo a.k.a. Pon asked.

"I did a search on the location, and knowing Midnight? He would put about 30 men in there excluding them 3." Sejun answered. 

"Alright, here's the plan…" Josh started.

\------

"Positions?" Josh asked quietly through the earpiece. 

"Sniper ready." 

"Team A ready." 

"Team B and C both ready Byte."

"On my signal… Go" Josh confirmed. 

They figured that Justin would probably be at the 3rd floor of the building since it is the highest floor. With little difficulty, Josh managed to climb up to the floor without anyone noticing. He could hear the gunshots below and could only hope that his men were okay. 

Josh's armor consisted of a Beretta M9 handgun, an AK-47 rifle, two daggers, and nunchucks. He preferred to use nunchucks so that he didn't have to actually shoot or kill anyone. 

He silently made his way through the hallways, surprised that Justin didn't put any of his men in here to defend him. He was about to enter a room when he heard a voice behind him.

"I just knew you would come here alone." He heard a gun click, so he slowly turned around to see Justin pointing a pistol straight to his head. 

"You know Byte? We could've just stayed quiet with our own organizations if only you didn't fucking steal rank 1 from us every fucking time!" Justin spat with anger. 

"Why is it so important to you Jah?" Josh asked. 

"Don't call me that! It's midnight you fucking asshole!" Justin pointed the gun to the wall behind Josh and pulled the trigger. 

Josh took this time to tackle Justin to the ground and take the gun from his hand with much difficulty. He unloaded the magazine and threw it down the stairs. 

"You think I can't kill you without a gun? Think again Santos!" Justin then punched him square in the face causing him to lose balance. Justin took the opportunity to switch their positions and take one of Josh's dagger pointing it on his neck. 

"How would it feel to be killed by your own weapon, Byte? Huh?" Josh could feel the dagger against his neck, slightly piercing his skin,making him wince. 

"Aww does it hurt?" Justin asked, chuckling darkly. "That's what you get for stealing from me!" 

Justin was about to stab him, when he managed to kick Justin's side and stand. He got his other dagger and pointed it at him. 

"Don't do this Jah. I don't want to fight you."

"Too bad I can't say the same. And I told you to stop calling me that!" Justin lurched forward, making them both crash through the window, falling to the emergency exit stairs. 

Josh could feel the back of his head bleeding but he knew he couldn't stop now. He punched Justin's jaw and tried to get down safely but Justin kicked his stomach making him fall down the stairs. 

He was feeling so weak, he wanted to just give up and let Justin kill him but he knew he couldn't do that. He spotted his dagger a few meters from him and tried to reach for it.

"You see Josh, there is no way to end this other than to kill me. If you don't kill me before I kill you first? I'd be back. It will be an endless cycle and we'd both just get bloody and bruises every time. So I suggest you accept your fate or you try to kill me. But you can't do that, can you?" Justin exclaimed, sitting on his stomach, holding a dagger close to his heart. 

"Where do you want me to stab you? Here? Or maybe here?" He then pointed to Josh's neck. 

Josh looked at Justin weakly and uttered, "Love, I'm sorry." which caught Justin off guard, giving Josh the opportunity to flip them over and get his dagger. 

"I love you." Josh said before stabbing Justin straight through the heart. He lied beside him, feeling the exhaustion sweep over him as he closed his eyes and wished for everything to be over. 


	7. Sloth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sin of Sloth

He was floating on a cloud. Josh couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his face. He was laying on what could only be described as the softest bed known to man, and he could just sink down into the mattress without a care in the world. 

He blinked his eyes open, slightly confused when the darkness of dusk greeted him. Glancing over at the clock on his left, it read 2:30 a.m. in bright, neon text. 

Josh then tried to sit up, but he fell immediately back onto the bed, his arms unable to hold him up longer.

“Wh-what?” He rasped out, his voice sounding weak, even to him.

“Why are you trying to sit up?” 

Josh turned his head to the side to see a pair of eyes looking right at him.

“Hello, Josh,” Justin murmured, smiling at him. “Why are you trying to leave?”

“I’m...I’m not…” Josh groaned out, feeling his breath leaving him with every word. “W-why are...why can’t I move?”

Justin hummed. “That doesn’t matter now. What matters is that we’re here...together...without a care in the world.”

And Justin slowly reached over, taking Josh’s hand in his. Justin’s always had slender fingers, but they felt rather thick in comparison to his own, bony hand.

“Don’t you just love it, Josh?” Justin then asked, squeezing his hand lightly. “We can just stay here. We don’t care about the world...they never cared about us, did they?”

Josh struggled to breathe. He reached a hand up, and he could feel the outline of his cheekbones and ribs jutting out of his skin. His skin felt like it was breaking apart, like he was literally wasting away.

He wasn’t just skinny...he was literal skin and bones.

“Why can’t we move from here?” He croaked, and Justin chuckled. 

“Because it’s just how life is, silly!” Justin pointed out. “Why should we give a damn about a world that never offered the same courtesy to us? I don’t know about you...but I don’t want to waste my energy on people who...just don’t appreciate anything we do. Why give a damn, then?”

This was wrong. Josh knew that he couldn’t just sit idly by and do  _ nothing.  _

But at the same time, what Justin was saying sounded like music to his ears. Do  _ nothing... _ what a concept. Josh could get by with the idea of doing nothing. He could just...not care. It was a wonderful idea...and he gets to be with Justin.

Still, a nagging voice inside his head told him that  _ he can’t just...be. _

“Justin...why do I feel like I’m falling apart?” He asks, and Justin turns his head to him.

“Oh, an unfortunate side effect. By doing nothing...we just all... _ waste away.” _

“But how come...how come you’re still whole and youthful?”

Justin turned a sweet smile towards him. “Because I’m the one keeping you here. You literally...give me strength to just...be.”

Then, Justin raised their joined hands, and Josh watched as Justin literally drained his life force away.

“Now...you can’t leave...I won’t let you.” Justin murmured, pressing a soft kiss on his temple. “Doesn’t this sound lovely, Joshie?”

Josh shook his head. “N-no...this is…”

He coughed out, and he could feel his chest clench with pain.

“This is not...how to live…”

“You’ll still survive...as long as I’m here, you won’t ever go away,” Justin whispered. “Stay with me, Joshie.”

“No!” Josh said, trying with all his might to take his hand out of Justin’s grip. “I don’t want to survive…”

He gasped as he wrenched his fingers from Justin’s hold. “I want...to live!”

Justin looked at his hand, as if utterly surprised that Josh had managed to pull his hand away, before turning to Josh with a blank expression. 

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Justin murmured, but his voice echoed loudly around the room.

As Josh tried to stand, Justin pulled him back down again.

“You can’t leave me...you promised to stay here with me...forever!” Justin yelled, desperation in his voice. 

Josh fought back, pulling away from Justin’s hold.

“Get away from me!” He yelled back. “Let me go!”

“Fine! Then perish!”

As those words left Justin’s lips, Josh felt himself crumbling to ash. He watched as his fingers slowly turned to dust, and with whatever strength he had left, he turned to Justin with wide eyes. 

“W-why?”

“So you can stay with me...forever…that’s the plan right?”

And Justin lay back down on the bed, smiling at him, watching him fade away into nothingness with each agonizing moment that passed. 

Josh’s vision darkened, and then, he was no more. 


	8. Greed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sin of Greed

GREED

Josh woke up wheezing, his eyes searching for something that he can use as a weapon as his eyes roamed the room he noticed that he wasn't in just any room, it was his bedroom. He slowly stood up and looked around. This was his room from their old house. He was confused.  _ Why would I be here? _ he thought to himself. He became alert once again as he heard footsteps approaching his room. He grabbed the nearest object he could and went beside the door. As the door slowly opened he was shocked to see his mother. 

_ "Josh, dear what are you doing there holding that lamp? Why are you pale as a ghost, are you okay?" _ His mom asked as she slowly put her hand on Josh's forehead to check if he was having a fever. " _ You don't seem to have a fever, put that down and let's go downstairs I'll cook you something to eat so you can drink some medicine you seem pale _ " Josh followed his mother. 

_ What kind of test is this? Why is my mom here? Why AM I here? _ Josh was having an internal conversation with himself, still confused, and still weak from the previous test. He hasn't been home for years now so he couldn’t' quite fathom why he was here, what his mom said next got him even more confused. 

_ "Will you be able to attend your classes today? I can call the teacher and tell them you're sick" _

_ "What do you mean? School? Where?"  _

_ "Are you still half-asleep? You go to UA remember??"  _

Josh scratched his head, " _ ah yes sorry I had a nightmare last night. I can go to school, don't worry too much mom" _ He ate his mom's cooking and went back to his room, he was startled as a phone from beside his bed started ringing. He picked it up and saw a familiar name, it was Stell. He answered the call and was greeted by a loud voice  _ "Dude I swear if you're still sleeping you'll be late, where are you?"  _ Josh was relieved to hear his voice as if a weight from his shoulders was being lifted. Stell always has this magic ability where talking to him can make you feel at ease, he got out of his trance as he heard Stell yells his name from the phone. _ "Yeah I'm on my way wait for me by the gate,"  _ Josh said as he ended the call despite Stell's protest of them being late together. He went to his closet and saw his uniform, he googled his school and grabbed a cab as he told the driver his destination. 

He was astonished when the taxi was slowly approaching a castle-like building, like the ones you'll only see in movies. It has a vintage-like facade and a pathway decorated with hedges and on the gate was the name of the academy. As Josh exited the car he saw Stell fidgeting as he kept looking at his watch, Josh smiled as he was happy to see him, Stell then saw Josh and ran towards him, Stell lightly smacked Josh on the head. 

_ "What took you so long?? We're going to be late!"  _ Stell said as he dragged Josh towards the school. 

_ "Well, you still waited for me"  _

_ "Oh shut up and just walk faster"  _

They went to their locker to grab some of their books; Josh looked at Stell and asked him for his locker combination. _ "Are you serious? Ugh, it's 0838 dumbass, hurry up" _ Josh entered the code and took the same books Stell did. When Josh took the book out a letter fell he picked it up and saw his name written meticulously on the front of the envelope. 

_ "You're still getting those huh that is one persistent admirer," _ Stell said. 

When they arrived at their classroom, Stell sighed in relief when they saw that the teacher was still not there. Josh sat down and observed the surroundings, nothing was out of place it was just your typical classroom setting, suddenly he heard Stell release a slight yelp, he was holding a cushion of needles. 

" _ What's wrong? why are you holding that? _ " Josh asked 

" _ I don't know I was reaching for my notebook under my desk and was greeted by this little monster here. Someone must have mistakenly put this here" _ Stell replied.

The bell rang signaling that it's time for their first period. The students went back to their proper seats and took out their reading materials. It was an ordinary day, nothing exciting happened, it was too peaceful to the point that it was eerily peaceful. Josh can't be too lax, but it was hard to find a fault in this environment. The day ended without anything happening. Josh was preparing to leave when someone called him from outside their classroom. It was a girl, she asked if he could talk to Josh privately. Josh followed the girl in an isolated corridor, he was starting to get tensed when the girl suddenly asked a question that caught him off-guard  _ "Please go out with me!" _ the girl asked. Josh was holding off a laugh, he kindly declined and started to walk away. 

He shook his head while walking slightly laughing at himself, he almost punched the poor girl, he thought that it was another surprise attack. As he was heading back to his classroom he started to feel chilly, he could feel a strong gaze from behind him he slowly looked back and saw no one. It was just an empty corridor. He jogs back to his class and sees Stell holding his back waiting for him. 

They were once again at their locker; Josh saw a bar of chocolate taped on his door locker with a note saying  _ heard you like eating chocolates when stressed _ . Josh smiled at the gesture, it reminds him of Justin. He took the chocolate and started eating it as if on cue he saw him taking a picture of a bird sitting on the water fountain. They locked eyes and Josh unconsciously waved his hand. Justin was caught off guard with the gesture, he looked away and started heading towards the opposite direction.

_ "Aw he ran away did you do something to him?? Are you bullying him??"  _ Stell asked with a mocking gasp.

_ "Don't be stupid I didn't do anything"  _ Josh said on his defense. 

Josh got back to his house safely. He decided to take a bath and started to think about his day. Nothing drastic happened, nothing life-threatening, nothing. It was as if he was given another shot at life. He even saw Justin; he was as beautiful as ever, with that warm smile as he looked at the photo he took.  _ Josh miserably misses Justin. _ He was going to believe that maybe he's living reality; maybe he passed all the tests, maybe just maybe this was the chance he kept praying for. Kind of ironic to pray while being in hell but desperate times call for miracles. All of these thoughts are making his head hurt. He slowly submerged his body in the tub and let the water hold his body. For a moment there was peace, for a while at this moment he can be at ease.

Josh got out of the bathroom and continued to search his so-called bedroom. He went to his work desk and rummaged through the drawers. He saw more letters with the same handwriting. 

Stell was right, whoever this is, they were indeed persistent. 

As Josh read the letters he was having goosebumps. Was he being watched? Every move he made was precisely written, from what he did, what he ate, who he was with. It was impressive that it made his stomach churn. He threw the letters on his bedside table and forced himself to sleep. He can't overthink some petty love letters he has better things to do. Before sleep fully took over him he felt a light peck on his forehead, thinking that it was his mother he didn't bother and just slept. 

\-------

Morning came without any disturbances. He got ready and went to school. When he reached his locker more letters were in his locker, he put it inside his bag to read later. Josh was walking down the hallway as he saw the girl who confessed to him yesterday wearing a cast on her arm, she was avoiding eye contact and started to walk faster as she saw Josh. _ Weird. _ He thought to himself. 

When Josh entered his class he saw that there was a little box in his desk with a letter attached to it.  _ You noticed me.  _ Inside the box was a drawing of him looking at the window. Josh asked Stell if he saw the person who gave him the present, Stell just shrugged and said he didn’t know. 

The bell rang at noon signaling for lunchtime, Josh can see someone peeking from the window, he can recognize that silhouette anywhere so he gets up from his seat and approaches the figure that's lurking beside the window. 

_ “Do you need anything?”  _ Josh asked. 

“ _ Uhh, yeah I was looking for you...you dropped this yesterday”  _

The boy handed Josh his student ID, he didn’t know that he was carrying one yesterday. Josh thanked the boy as he took his ID. He asked for the boy’s name even though he completely knew who it was. 

_ “Uh, Justin. My name’s Justin”  _ the boy smiled shyly. 

“ _ Well, Justin how about we go grab lunch together? My treat consider this as a reward”  _ Josh said.

While walking towards the cafeteria Josh can’t help but think that all of this is going too smoothly. _ If Justin is my test might as well keep him in sight. I don’t know what kind of bullshit this is but I know for a fact that this is all a scam,  _ Josh thought as he looked at Justin.

Josh just stared at Justin most of the time they were eating. Justin will tell an unfunny joke and Josh will just chuckle and shake his head, he almost forgot that  _ this reality _ isn't real but everytime that Justin will show his gummy smile Josh just wants to forget everything and stay. It's as if every minute spent with Justin he forgets all the trauma he’s been through. Their time together was interrupted when Josh’s phone rang. He looked at the Caller ID and saw that it was Stell. 

  
  


_ “Hey Josh can you go to the nurse’s office? I’m feeling kind of sick”  _ Stell said weakly over the phone. 

_ “Yeah, I’m on my way”  _

Josh ended the call and told Justin he needs to go. “ _ Stell needs me right now so I’ll see you later?”,  _ Justin nodded. As Josh walked away, Justin clenched his fist as he bends the spoon he was holding. 

\-------

Josh told their teachers that Stell was feeling unwell and he would like to accompany him so he can get home safely. Stell was starting to look pale by the minute, he can’t even walk properly. As they got to Stell’s house, Josh helped him get dressed and warmed up the meal that was on the table. 

_ “Hey, do you want me to stay?”  _

_ “Nah, don’t worry I just need to rest and I’ll be better before you know it”  _

_ “Okay, I’ll leave the medicine here, don't forget to drink it”  _ Josh said as he collected himself and left.

\-------

The next day Josh received a text from Stell.

_ From: Stell  _

_ I won’t be going to school today but I am feeling a bit better see you soon! _

Josh replied with a simple okay and started getting ready for school. 

As he was walking towards the school entrance he saw Justin standing by the gate. Justin saw him approaching and smiled at him. 

“ _ What are you doing here?”  _

_ “Just waiting for you, can we walk together? _

_ “Yeah of course” _

As they were walking down their lockers Josh received a rather ominous note that says, “ _ Now we can be together”  _ Josh shoved the letter back in his locker. He saw Justin staring at him and asked if he was okay.  _ “Yeah, someone just keeps pulling this stupid prank”  _ Josh asnwered. 

Josh can’t help but to feel anxious for some reason, even though it was a normal day he can't shake the feeling that something feels off. He decided to visit Stell after class, maybe that would make him feel better. Lunchtime came and he saw Justin waiting for him again outside his classroom. 

They bought some food from the cafeteria and decided to eat on the school roof. They talked, laughed, and shared their food. Once again Josh felt like he was getting sucked into a trance. He was slowly forgetting his goal but was snapped back from reality when the bell rang signaling the students to get back to class.

_ “Hey Josh, do you want to hang out after class?” _

_ “Maybe next time? I need to go to Stell later”  _

Justin murmured inaudible. 

“ _ What?” _

_ “Nothing just asking why you don’t want to hang out with me” _

_ “Uh, it's not like that…”  _

_ “No, it's okay. I need to get to class. Bye,”  _ Justin said with a smile as he walked away. 

\----------

As Josh was walking down the road towards Stell’s house he could sense someone walking behind him, before he could even turn around he was hit by a blunt object behind his head. As Josh lost consciousness he could see a silhouette of a tall guy looming over him as he kissed him on the forehead. 

Josh woke up in a dark room and he could feel that his hands were tied behind the chair he was sitting on. His blood ran cold when he saw the body that was next to him. _ It was Stell.  _ Josh kept yelling Stell’s name hoping that he could show any sign of life but to no avail, his body remained limp. He was startled when someone spoke in the darkness. 

“ _ Oh you're awake. I was hoping you’ll wake up tomorrow”  _ Justin said as he slowly approached Josh. “ _ Is your head okay, love? I didn’t mean to hurt you but you were being naughty by going to his house. You know I don’t like it when you give someone else your attention”  _ Justin said as he slowly caresses Josh’s face. Josh was trembling under Justin’s touch. He should have known.  _ He should have been more careful _ . He cussed under his breath.

_ “Why are you doing this? Stell didn---”  _ he was cut off when Justin suddenly screamed

_ “SHUT UP!” J _ ustin yelled as he threw something on the wall. “ _ He was being in the way of our love. I know you were just tagging along with him, don’t worry I’ll handle him and soon you’ll be mine. ALL. MINE”  _ Justin said with delight. 

_ “I saw you pleading eyes when you waved. I even took care of that girl for you! How dare she even look at someone else’s lover such a slut”  _ Justin was disgusted by just remembering the memory of that girl she ran over with a scooter.  _ “Too bad she survived,”  _ Justin continued.

“ _ I saw your eyes as they were pleading to me to save you, I was ecstatic!”  _ Justin said as he screamed with delight. Josh knew that to save Stell he needed to play along with this game. 

“ _ I'm glad you noticed, now we can be together. I’m happy to be called yours”  _ Josh said with a smile. Justin was happy he approached Josh and kissed him. Josh reciprocated the kiss, he licked Justin’s lips. Justin parted his mouth and let Josh’s tongue roam around his mouth. They stayed like that for a while until Josh pulled back to breathe. He was almost done untying his hands when Justin suddenly kicked Stell’s body. 

“ _ What are you doing?!”  _ Josh said in shock. 

_ “Oh, didn't we agree to dispose of him? I won’t share you with anyone. Your whole being belongs to me”  _ Justin said with a smile as he continued to release hard blows on Stell’s body.  _ “Don’t worry, he won’t feel a thing. This is just precaution, to make sure that the poison worked”  _ Justtin said with a smile plastered on his face.

Josh’s mind went blank. As the rope slipped from his hands he tackled Justin, they wrestled on the ground, Justin tried to overpower Josh but the older one was stronger. Josh got the upper hand, as much as he didn’t want to go through this he knew what he needed to do. He grabbed the rope that was on the ground and tied it around Justin’s neck. He slowly tightens the ligature. 

“ _ Why..Why does it have to end this way?”  _ Josh desperately asked Justin. Justin smiled. 

“ _ H-h-he wanted you. He wanted you to the point that he was willing to do whatever it takes to make you e-especially you happy”  _ Justin said with a wicked smile as his breathing stopped. 

Before everything went black Josh took a final glance at Stell. He murmured an apology, asking for forgiveness for not saving him. 

  
  



	9. Sealed with a Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who would have known?

  
  


Josh blinked his eyes open and found himself in the middle of a white room once more. A singular door stood in front of him, almost beckoning him to come forward.

He stood up, walking closer to the door. Reaching forward, he twisted the door knob open and slipped inside.

“What the fuck…” he breathed out.

Justin stood in the middle of the room, dressed in a form-fitting black suit, with his white shirt unbuttoned all the way to the middle. Josh’s eyes widened at the ink of tattoos on his chest, all the way up to his neck. His eyes flashed black, and atop his head, two large horns protruded.

At the sight of Josh, the black faded from Justin’s eyes, and Josh found himself looking into the soft brown eyes of the man he loved.

“Josh you...you made it,” Justin breathed out, taking one step forward. 

“Where are we?” Josh asked, taking a step back. Justin’s face fell at that, but he didn’t dare move.

“You’re in my home, Josh,” Justin said.

“But...you said you sold your soul? I thought...I thought you’d be tortured or something down here?” Josh asked. 

Justin cautiously approached him. “I won’t hurt you, I promise. Can we sit down, and I can explain to you what happened?”

Once they got comfortable, Justin took a deep breath.

“Well, what would you like to know?” 

“Why don’t you start from the beginning?” 

Justin took a deep breath. “Well, for starters, I was never actually human to begin with.”

“Wait, what do you mean?” Josh asked.

Justin looked at Josh, sincerity in his eyes. “I’m a demon. I always have, and I always will. I roamed the land of the living, because I wanted to, and because I was on a mission to prove myself to one day become the leader of the underworld. As you can guess, though, it took me quite a while to get to this point.”

Josh raised an eyebrow. “Well, what happened?”

Justin looked up at him, a small smile on his face. “Well,  _ you  _ happened. And  _ you  _ were the best thing to ever happen to me.”

Josh’s heart thudded. Here was this man - er,  _ demon  _ \- still looking like the same guy he fell in love with all those years ago, just a bit... _ hornier  _ for a lack of a better term. Justin still had the same face, and oddly enough, he didn’t feel one bit of fear being the presence of his otherwordly entity.

“So, what’s all that bullshit I went through?” Josh asked him. 

Justin winced again. “Well, actually, I set those tests up myself.”

“But...why?”

“I don’t know I guess...I wanted to deter you from coming here and finding me again,” Justin replied, and Josh didn’t know whether to feel hurt or not by that.

Justin immediately backtracked. “It’s not that I didn’t want to see you again but...you have to understand, hell is no place for the faint of heart.”

“Wait, so you didn’t sell your soul?”

Justin shook his head. “No. It was just a ruse to find a way back here. I needed to go back to take care of some things, and I told you that I sold my soul because I thought you’d be disgusted by what I’ve done and just...forget about me.”

He then chuckled. “I didn’t realize that you’d actually find a way down here.”

“I never stopped loving you, Justin,” Josh said after a few seconds, taking Justin’s hand in his. “When you died...I...I was devastated. And then I read your letter and I realized that maybe there was a way to get you back.”

“I put up all those tests because I wanted to see if...if you would still feel the same. You didn’t fall for any of the constructs that I set up, and I was…” Justin trailed off. “I was honestly floored that you kept going.”

“Well...I wasn’t going to stop until I had you back,” Josh told him, moving closer to him. 

Justin ducked his head, a bit awkwardly with the horns.

“So...what now?” Josh then asked him.

“It’s up to you,” Justin said. “I can’t leave anytime soon...I’m actually the new leader of the underworld, which is why I had to come back.”

“And I don’t want to leave anytime soon either,” Josh told him. “And you know, wherever you go, I’m always there.”

“But why?” Justin asked him. “You’ve gone through hell - literally - and you still want to be with me despite knowing what you know now?”

“Yeah,” Josh replied without missing a beat. “Because I still love you, and I want to be with you no matter what.”

Justin was stunned silent at that, and he looked into Josh’s eyes, looking for any hint that he was not telling the whole truth, but Josh knew, deep down, that he wanted Justin.

Even if he did have two horns sticking atop his head.

“Well then,” Justin breathed out, grinning. “Josh, would you like to stay and rule the underworld with me?”

Josh grinned. “You know what, Justin, I would love to.”

“Then, let’s seal it with a kiss,” Justin told him, moving forward, and Josh lunged the rest of the way, their lips meeting in a heated kiss.

And fuck, Josh missed this. He melted into the sensations, and Justin kissed back with the same fervor that he remembered. Justin wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer.

“Fuck, I missed this,” Josh gasped. 

“I missed you,” Justin said, bringing their foreheads together. “Stay with me...for real this time?”

Josh grinned. “I’m in it for the long haul, baby.”

Then, his eyes flashed black, and Justin couldn’t help but grin.

Josh was home. 


End file.
